by Larry Lagarde

If you could, would you enjoy cycling and hanging out with the world's leading bike designers and manufacturers?

For some time, RideTHISbike.com readers have been asking and encouraging me to organize folding bike tours. As both a cycling enthusiast and advocate, creating group tours to the world's best cycling destinations is very appealing, provided I can ride along too.

Since I can only participate in bicycle tours during the winter or fall, I have been wondering which destinations would hold the greatest appeal. Then it hit me: Vegas!

Why Las Vegas
Although Vegas is touted for gambling and night life, it offers an unusual and stunning variety of outstanding places to go for scenic and fun bike rides (Rails to Trails just added the Lake Mead River Mountains Loop to their list of notable bike trails; 2 other local & car free routes: the Historic Railroad Trail to Hoover Dam and the Red Rock Loop). Plus, epic rides in Grand Canyon, Zion and Death Valley, Prescott (and even on the Las Vegas Strip itself) are all within easy reach. Then of course there's Interbike...

Every September, the world's elite bike makers, racers & shop owners come together in Vegas for Interbike. Although the show is an industry only event for bike dealers, it is one of the few times when the best and brightest in the bike industry are all in the same place, presenting a unique opportunity for a truly memorable experience.

By timing a Vegas region bike tour to coincide with Interbike, it's entirely possible that cyclists could meet and ride with bike makers, designers and racers outside the bike convention. What I need is YOUR feedback.

Would you go to Vegas for a group folding bike tour? What type of riding would you like to do - road, car free paved trails, unpaved/mountain or a combination)? How many days would you have for the tour? Any other comments or suggestions?

Let me know and together, we can craft the ultimate bike tour experience.

Labels: ultimate-bike-tour, Vegas-bicycle-tour